A petition is calling on Mayor Jon Mitchell, the New Bedford City Council, and Police Chief Thody to suspend Flock surveillance cameras and give residents the public process they deserve.
Imagine discovering that a citywide surveillance system had been installed in your community only after it was already operating. You might have questions.
Who approved it?
What information is being collected?
How long is that information kept?
Who can access it?
Can it be shared with other law enforcement agencies?
How often has it been used?
And most importantly: Why weren’t residents given a meaningful opportunity to weigh in before it was deployed?
Those are the questions behind a new petition demanding that New Bedford suspend its Flock Safety surveillance system until there is a transparent public process.
This isn’t simply a debate about whether surveillance technology can help police solve crimes. It’s about something much bigger: whether the people of New Bedford should have a voice when powerful surveillance technology is introduced into their community.
This Is About Your Right to Know
People can disagree about Flock cameras.
Some may believe the technology can help police investigate crimes and protect the community. Others may have serious concerns about privacy and the collection of information about people’s movements.
But there is common ground that should unite New Bedford residents:
The public deserves to know what its government is doing.
A surveillance system capable of collecting information about vehicles traveling throughout the city should not become a permanent part of daily life without clear rules, public discussion, and accountability.
Residents should not have to discover that such a system exists after decisions have already been made.
That’s why this petition calls for an immediate suspension of the Flock cameras and a pause on any expansion until the public has an opportunity to participate in the process.
We Are Asking for Transparency—Not Secrecy
The petition is straightforward. Sign it HERE:
It asks city officials to hold public hearings and allow residents to participate in developing the rules governing Flock technology.
It asks officials to release the policies governing data collection, retention, access, auditing, and sharing with outside law enforcement agencies.
It asks for regular transparency reports showing how the system is being used, how many investigations it has assisted, what measurable public-safety results have been achieved, and how often outside agencies have accessed New Bedford’s data.
And it asks the city to establish a permanent requirement that future surveillance technologies receive public notice, public hearings, and a recorded vote before they are approved or deployed.
These aren’t unreasonable demands.
They’re basic questions that a community should be able to ask about technology being used by its government.
What Happens If We Don’t Speak Up?
Once surveillance infrastructure is installed, expanding its use can become much easier than creating it in the first place.
That’s why public participation matters now.
This petition is an opportunity to establish clear rules before the system becomes further embedded in city operations.
It’s an opportunity to say that technological advances should not move faster than public oversight.
And it’s an opportunity to make sure future decisions involving surveillance technology don’t happen behind closed doors or without meaningful public participation.
Your Signature Matters
Signing a petition may seem like a small action.
But every signature tells city officials that residents are paying attention.
It tells them that transparency matters.
It tells them that public input shouldn’t be an afterthought.
And it tells them that decisions involving surveillance and privacy deserve scrutiny from the people who live in this city.
Then Take the Next Step: Show Up
A signature is important.
But showing up matters too.
On Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:30 PM, residents are being asked to come to New Bedford City Hall.
The goal is simple:
Fill the room.
A packed City Council chamber sends a message that cannot be easily ignored.
You don’t have to be an expert on surveillance technology.
You don’t have to agree on every question surrounding Flock.
You simply have to believe that residents deserve transparency, accountability, and a voice in decisions that affect their community.
Bring your neighbors. Bring your family. Tell your friends. Share the petition. Talk about the issue.
And on August 20, show up.
This Is Bigger Than Flock
The decision facing New Bedford isn’t only about one company or one surveillance system.
It’s about what kind of government residents expect.
Do we want important decisions about powerful technology to happen first and be explained later?
Or do we want a city where residents receive notice, elected officials hold public discussions, rules are clearly established, and the community gets a meaningful opportunity to participate before surveillance technology is deployed?
The answer shouldn’t depend on whether you support or oppose Flock.
Transparency should belong to everyone.
New Bedford residents deserve to know what surveillance technology is being used, how it operates, who has access to the information, how that information is shared, and whether it is actually delivering measurable public-safety benefits.
Those questions deserve public answers.
And the time to ask them is now.
SIGN THE PETITION.
COME TO CITY HALL.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
6:30 PM
New Bedford City Hall
Let’s fill the room and demand a transparent public process.
Because government works best when the people it serves are informed, involved, and heard.
